Poor little Genie. She’s just teaching her family why she hates certain shoes, when along comes a dance recital!
Imagine how Excited she was to see this:
Seriously tootache-inducing sweetness, right? Dreamy?
She tried it on, and ~~screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam~~ OUCH! More like a nightmare.
Those sparkly sweet sequins don’t make Genie smile anymore, in fact, she hates the dress, and she’s “Not Wearing It!” Which in and of itself would be just fine, if she hadn’t worked so hard and so long in dance class to be able to perform for her family and friends. And she wants to dance, her parents and grandparents want to see, and the friends in her class are counting on her.
Thank goodness, Genie’s mom didn’t just assume her daughter was “acting out” or “being 4.” In fact, she’s been investigating Genie’s sensory issues with an Occupational Therapist. And, little Genie’s mommy is a good friend of mine. At school one day, M. asked if I know of any possible solutions for scratchy costumes. (Other than giving up on dancing, that is.)
The only way I know to fight “scratchy” is with “soft”… so I did:
You can barely see it, but the little one will love her dress again. I made a 3/4″ tube of super-soft pale pink fabric and hand-tacked it to the neckline, so Genie’s skin is protected from the scritchy-scratchy tulle, the sharp sequins, and the exposed elastic that was bothering her, too. Here’s an inside view of the work-in-progress:
It doesn’t take an expert to alter a costume for comfort. A hand-sewing needle, some thread, and the hem of an old t-shirt will work wonders. The only part of the neckline that touches the tiny dancer is the soft knit edges.
I hope dance recital season is wonderful for everyone. I know one little girl who’s thrilled to get on stage, now.
